Skedaddle

The months of September, October, November, and December take their names from Latin words meaning “seven,” “eight,” “nine,” and “ten.” So why don’t their names correspond to where they fall in the year? The answer lies in an earlier version of the Roman calendar. • The sweltering period called the “dog days” takes its name from the movements of a certain star. • A new book offers an insider’s view of the world of dictionary editing.

Rubber Jar Opener ThingyYou’re trying to unscrew the stubborn lid on a jar of pickles and ask someone to hand you that flat, round, rubber thing that helps you get it open. What do you call it? In a discussion on our Facebook group, listeners share several names, including rubber husband, second husband, rubber grippy thing, and round tuit.

How Was “Gnarly” Coined?A surfer in Imperial Beach, California, wonders who coined the word gnarly to describe waves that are particularly challenging. This term may have originated in the slang of surfers in South Africa in the 1970s and eventually spread into everyday slang.

Sky HagThe slang term sky hag was originally a negative appellation for an older flight attendant. But it’s now being reclaimed by longtime airline employees as a positive self-descriptor.

Promulgating Your Esoteric CogitationsA woman in Mammoth Lakes, California, says her father used to offer this advice: “In promulgating your esoteric cogitations or articulating your superficial sentimentalities, beware of preposterous ponderosities. In other words, don’t use big words.” This particular phrase and variations of it were passed around in 19th century, much like internet memes today.

Gram WeenieGram weenie is a slang term for an ultralight backpacker who goes to extreme lengths to shave off every last bit of weight they must carry.

Blank in the Blank Word GameQuiz Guy John Chaneski shares puzzle called “Blank in the Blank.” For example, what classic toddler’s toy shares its name with a fast-food restaurant?

Emoji Word OriginsA college student in Bowling Green, Kentucky, wonders about the origin of the word emoji. Although you might guess that the name for these little pictures inserted into text messages contains the English word emotion, that’s just a coincidence. Instead, the word derives from Japanese e meaning “picture” and moji, meaning “letter” or “character.”

NebbyThe phrase to be nebby is heard particularly in Western Pennsylvania, and means to be “picky” or “gossipy.” Originally, it meant “nosy” or “snooping.” Nebby is a vestige of Scots-Irish, where the word neb means “nose” or “beak.”

Las CaniculasA San Antonio, Texas, listener recalls hearing the term las caniculas to denote a period of 12 days in January where the weather seems to run the gamut of all the kinds of weather that will be experienced in the coming year. This period is also known as las cabañuelas. Canicula derives from Latin for “little dog,” a reference to Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, which at a certain time of the year appears in the eastern horizon just before sunrise, appearing to accompany the sun like a faithful pup. There’s a great deal of folklore associated with la canicula, a term applied at different times in different Spanish-speaking countries. In English, this period in late summer is known as the dog days.

SneckA sneck is a kind of latch. A listener in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says his British relatives sometimes use the term snecklifter to mean “a gift that will get you in the door at a dinner party.”

A Gender-Neutral Plural Pronoun for Talking to GroupsA U.S. Forest Service firefighter in Lakeland, Florida, also teaches classes on chainsaw safety, and wants to make sure he’s using gender-neutral pronouns when doing so. The epicene pronoun they will work just fine.

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Crusticles and Fenderbergs 02/12/2018: A second-generation Filipino-American finds that when he speaks English, his personality is firm, direct, and matter-of-fact. But when he speaks with family members in Tagalog,... [more]

Bun in the Oven 02/05/2018: How many different ways are there to say you have a baby on the way? You can say you're pregnant, great with child, clucky, awkward,... [more]

Flying Pickle 01/29/2018: How would you like to be welcomed to married life by friends and neighbors descending on your home for a noisy celebration, tearing off the... [more]

Gee and Haw 03/12/2018: The highly specialized vocabulary of people who work outdoors, communicating with sled dogs, a word from the sport of rock-climbing, church key, browse line, smeuse,... [more]

Gung Ho 03/05/2018: The origins of the peace symbol, why we say someone who's enthusiastic is gung ho, a tasty spin on stuffed foccacia that originated in eastern... [more]

Crusticles and Fenderbergs 02/12/2018: A second-generation Filipino-American finds that when he speaks English, his personality is firm, direct, and matter-of-fact. But when he speaks with family members in Tagalog,... [more]

Bun in the Oven 02/05/2018: How many different ways are there to say you have a baby on the way? You can say you're pregnant, great with child, clucky, awkward,... [more]

Flying Pickle 01/29/2018: How would you like to be welcomed to married life by friends and neighbors descending on your home for a noisy celebration, tearing off the... [more]

Happy as Larry 01/22/2018: New research shows that you may be less influenced by superstitious behavior like walking under ladders or the magic of four-leaf clovers if you're reading... [more]